


Absolute

by ivarara



Series: Hawk n Hum [17]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: new baby new backstory!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-21 00:34:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21290771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivarara/pseuds/ivarara
Summary: Apis is done, they can feel it. They don't have much left. Without intervention, they won't live.
Series: Hawk n Hum [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1388653
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> apis is a new vessel oc! they're based on honey and the hive,,

_ Crawl_, their mind demands of them. _Escape. _

_ Claw your way out of this grave they put you in._

So the vessel climbs. 

It hurts--by the Gods, above and below, does it hurt. Their limbs ache. Their head throbs painfully. It feels like their very soul is leaking out their skull.

With the alarming amount of Void dripping down, that may very well be the case.

_ Focus yourself, being. Crawl._

They are trying. Their limbs are like stone, heavy and sluggish and uncontrollable. Arms drag a dead weight body around, while legs make feeble attempts at propelling the weight along. The slick Void dripping from their head makes the surface under them slippery, where traction is hard to gain.

_ From darkness you came. From there, you’ll return, if you don’t keep up._

Finally, clawing their way out of the Abyss. They’re worn, exhausted. Their entire body aches. They want to sleep. They want to rest.

_ Do not. It will be permanent._

But why stay? They had been thrown out, forgotten like an unsatisfying memory, pushed aside like a sin. Why did they wake? Why did they live? 

_ You’ve a purpose outside of what you’d been designed for._

What, then?

_ Beyond your given grave, you’ll see._

The King’s Brand at the entrance to the Abyss mocks them, one last jab at their existence as they redeem themself. 

When Kingdom’s Edge comes into view, they fully collapse.

Why are they bothering? If they live, they’ll only continue a disgraced life, one of an unwanted soul cast aside and thrown out. Nobody wants them. They have no reason to continue.

So, why are they?

_ Do not question. Simply go._

Their torso scrapes along the ground painfully. The fluffy white material characteristic to Kingdom’s Edge does little to dampen the blows of stones and sticks against their tender body. The cold numbs some pain, making them even more sluggish and tired. The Void drops slow but do not stop, far from it.

_ Further, further._

They can’t, not anymore.

They collapse. Their body slumps to the ground in a tangled heap. The Void grows in a puddle underneath them. 

Who are they? Who were they? Did they have a name? Did they have an identity? A life?

Not anymore, they don’t. 

_ Do not relent, little one. You must keep going._

Whatever the voice is, it’s persistent. 

_ Apis, you must keep going._

Apis?

_ You were Apis. You are Apis._

Apis mulls the sentences over. Why give a name to an unwanted creature? One you simply discard, regardless?

_ Apis, you must keep going._

Apis tries. They muster strength, try to move, but they simply can’t.

This is it, then. All that hassle of escaping the Abyss only to die right outside. 

_ No, Apis, you are not finished here._

What do you mean?, Apis wants to shout. Broken, weary, already dying--why not let the course continue?

_ You’ve more to life than your miserable past. Move forward_.

Apis cannot.

Apis is done.

Apis gives up. They curl into a ball, the Void leaking under them in a puddle cooling off one side of their body oddly. They cannot gather the wits to care. 

A buzzing drone sounds off in the distance. Hive workers, then, soon to finish the already-enacted job.

They can’t escape, not in this state. They don’t even try.

The buzzing nears. 

Prepare for the sting. One is all it will take.

It never comes.

\---

The Hivelings peer down at the body curiously, worriedly. They look to one another questioningly. One zooms off to alert other workers. The other two fuss around the poor being, clinging to life by a silk-thin thread. They bump against it gently, trying to rouse a reaction. 

_ Nudge, nudge._

_ Shuffle._

The Hivelings recoil in surprise. The life still clings to this one, then. They must keep it going, do not let that flame flicker out.

One buzzes around, ducking under the tattered and short cloak of the vessel curiously. The other follows suit, gently lifting the body by the shoulders, under the arms.

To the Hive, then. Safety is in the Hive.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apis awakens.

Waking up is an entirely new experience.  


They’re sore, they ache, they’re tender and tired and want to sleep.

But, surprisingly, they’re not dead.

The room they wake in is warmly lit, a pleasant golden glow surrounding Apis, even with their eyes closed. A low droning buzz sounds, but does not move or cease. Odd, then. 

With everything happening lately, they can’t remember anything that isn’t odd. The little vessel had been through so much in the past day alone that they don’t question anymore.

Their head still throbs painfully, but they’re alive. Something has been done. Someone has intervened.

Apis cracks open their eyes a wedge.

The warm light proves to be the surroundings-- golden, shiny, luscious, with organized patterns of shapes of honeycombs and crates all around. The atmosphere is humid, but comfortable; warm, but not overbearing. 

Apis opens their eyes the rest of the way, and jolts back at what greets them.

The fuzzy face of a Hiveling stares back at them, intently. It hovers in place, staring seemingly through the mask and into their very soul. It’s wings flit endlessly, holding it steady.

When it notices Apis’ awakening, it startles as well, but quickly recovers.

The Hiveling does jerk back at the realization. Poor thing, it probably thought it had been rude. It tries to make up for the surprise by gently rubbing along Apis’ exposed arm, wrapped in bandages tainted inky black. It’s gentle, careful-- it knows Apis is injured, but wants to comfort nonetheless.

Apis tries to smile down to the creature. They want to show their appreciation to these Hive workers, bringing them back essentially from the dead.

When they smile, it hurts. Their face alights with pain that spreads like fire. They’d cry out, if they could. Thick, Void-esque tears trickle down their face at the motion. They try to curl into themself, something to get away from the pain.

The Hiveling notices. It frets, buzzing worriedly, snapping back from Apis’ arm in fear. 

Apis struggles to bring their pain under control. It ebbs if they relax their face, so they focus on doing so._ Struggle through your pain. Only now, you can show it._

Tears continue to stream down their face, but now, it’s under control. They’re not going to be thrown out again for showing emotion, for merely living. The Hive would not undo all their hard work of bringing Apis back from the brink just to pitch them out for sobbing in pain.

The Hiveling frets, buzzing back and forth in front of Apis. Feebly, Apis reaches a trembling hand out towards it.

It pauses in its panic, peering at Apis confusedly. Apis shakes the hand, still holding it out in offering. The little bee bumps into the hand, relieved. It rubs all over Apis’ palm like a child craving affection from a parent, leaving little specks of pollen on the black appendage. 

The tears slow and eventually stop, Apis being distracted by the fuzzy softness of the Hiveling’s head. It would purr if it could, eagerly tilting into the petting.

_ Yes. This is good. _Apis smiles through the pain._ This is good, this is better than anticipated._

A Hive Guardian bumbles over to investigate. It checks Apis out carefully, inspecting bandages. When it deems them satisfactory, it buzzes invitingly to Apis. 

Apis struggles to their feet and rises. The Hiveling follows their movements intently, like a loyal companion, even after such a short time. 

The Hiveling buzzes near their broken horn protectively. The Guardian rolls its eyes at the display, but relents.

It nods its head. _Come, _it invites_. Let’s get you thoroughly patched._


	3. Chapter 3

The Hive workers are dutiful in what they do. They persist, focus, and work steadily until their job is deemed finished.

Their first order of work as repairing the cracked facade in Apis’ mask.

Hive Soldiers would drop off little spare chunks of honeycomb, which Hivelings eagerly fussed over and arranged. The Hive Guardian watched passively, seemingly interested in what the smaller workers had in mind.

The Hivelings got to work swiftly: they patched the hole in the scuffed white mask first, using broad spans of honeycomb that they would nitpick and cut to fit perfectly. Apis could feel their little _pat-pat-pats_ as they ensured the material stayed in place, just barely jostling their head as they work.

With the majority of the damage repaired, the Hivelings sit back and beam at their craft. One buzzes around Apis’ head happily. Apis tries to keep track of them, but grows dizzy quickly at their incessant circling. 

The other pauses, seeming to be deep in thought. It buzzes over to Apis’ remaining horn, bumping against it pointedly. _What about the other?_

The first Hiveling jolts as an idea strikes. It zooms over to the leftover comb, carefully stacking chunks on top of each other in an imperfect tower.

The other catches hint-- stack the comb, build a horn. It begins arranging pieces on Apis’ head, gluing them together with globs of honey. The two develop a short assembly line, of sorts. One delivers a chunk of honeycomb, the other arranges it just so while the first grabs honey to secure it.

Soon enough, a meager, jagged horn is formed. It’s sturdy, thankfully, but asymmetrical. Apis can’t find it within themself to care.

The gesture alone, bringing them in to the Hive and essentially reviving them, is enough to make Apis feel thankful. But they go out of their way to repair what they can, as well. They know how important a mask is to a vessel, how the soul within would steadily leak out if left unrepaired.

And they took action.

The Guardian peers over at their work and buzzes once, loudly and happily, commending the two on their work. The Hivelings flit about excitedly.

But Apis has a thought. How would they convey it?

_Up_, Apis reaches. _Up, up, up. Taller. Longer. Growing._

The Guardian catches their meaning and shakes its head carelessly. We’ll fix that when the problem arises. 

Apis snatches one of the Hivelings out of the air and squeezes it in a firm hug. It buzzes enthusiastically, wriggling within their grasp for more. The other seems to become jealous, vying for attention by butting at the other side of their head persistently until Apis turns to them to give the same thankful treatment. 

_Thank you_, Apis signs with a universal symbol of gratitude known throughout the kingdom. 

All three Hive workers buzz chipperly in response. _You’re very welcome! _  



End file.
